From cyberpunk to deep space: the stories that inspired the style of the 2023 ROG laptop lineup

At ROG, we don’t just want to build the best gaming laptops on the market. We want to design machines that feel at home on any desk or in any lap. More than just a conglomeration of metal and silicon, these laptops have been carefully crafted to drive forth the future of technology. 

Strix: For those who dare to be bold

The ROG Strix family is heavily influenced by the cyberpunk setting of ROG SAGA. Designed for gamers, esports pros, and power users, the Strix line leans strongly into the intersection of technology and daily life. Goemon City is a metropolis of high technology adorned with neon lights, and the ROG Strix family utilizes features like a dark and angular chassis paired with Aura Sync RGB lighting to echo this futuristic aesthetic. The bold coloring present on Strix devices is inspired by streetwear and urban fashion, representing those who are unafraid to stand out from the crowd. All sides of the machine, from the Armor Caps to the rubberized feet, demonstrate that the ROG Strix family is designed by gamers, for gamers.  

ROG designers continuously push the limits of possibility, ensuring that the Strix line always lives up to the core ROG value of “For those who dare”. The Strix line has been a testbed for brand new technologies, including a semi-transparent keyboard deck that gives gamers a view directly into the heart of their machine without sacrificing any durability. This year’s is more impressive than ever, featuring an all-new gradient texture that took our designers and engineers years to co-develop with the factory.

We’ve even refined the color black. Our new shade of “Off Black” has reached an extremely dark hue with our exclusive nano-sandblasting finish and a diamond-like mirror polish to complete an infinite but layered effect. To make sure the machines look their best at all times, a new Anti-Fingerprint coating has been developed for the chassis, and laser etching on this coating keeps the signature ROG slash standing out proudly in contrast. The Strix family has been designed from all angles to not only be the highest performance gaming laptops in the world, but to stand out from a crowd of imitators.   

Zephyrus: The marriage of grace and power 

The Zephyrus line also has a design language deeply rooted in the ROG SAGA story. Drawing from cyberpunk and the impact of technology on people’s lives in the future, the Zephyrus line invokes images of mechanical monoliths like LAPUNTU. The distinctive ROG Slash, present on all three Zephyrus machines, breaks up convention and the expectation of standard chassis design. The all-new Zephyrus M16 achieves the perfect balance between technology and art, introducing true craftsmanship back into consumer tech products. Our brand new and unique mirror polishing technique created with over a ten-step grinding processes allows the traditional aluminum alloy chassis to reach a high-end boutique quality. 

Zephyrus also draws its color palette from the cyberpunk reality of ROG SAGA and the G.A.M.E.R. heroes who save its world. Dark tones reflect rebellious, evil, and black technology themes. White symbolizes the utopian society formed after the FATE War, and gray represents the conflict of those two ideals. Zephyrus machines are meant to look right at home in the future, with otherworldly and high-tech designs. 

Flow: Reinvent your space 

The Flow product line gets its inspiration from the endless possibilities of space and the technology that powers interstellar travel. For 2023, the lid on the Flow X13 has been redesigned to better reflect the gravitational waves found in deep space. Through lots of trial and error, our design team developed new aluminum machining to perfect our die casting technique for this unique pattern. Instead of even spacing between each ridge, the aluminum incorporates increasingly more space between each crest to more closely mimic a wave, giving the machine a more futuristic look and improving usability by making it easier to grab the tactile surface from any angle.  

On the Flow Z13, a transparent window gives a direct look at the motherboard of the machine, reminiscent of spacecraft designs from the infancy of spaceflight and exploration. Two anodizing coats on the high-density CNC-milled chassis gives the machine a unique finish, and further detailing harkens back to the golden age of the space race.  The Flow Z13 is more than just the world’s most powerful gaming laptop, it’s a representation of ROG’s dedication to good design ideas, both new and old. All three Flow machines share the same triangle name plate, with the two smaller devices adorned with ROG easter eggs. 

At ROG, we want our gaming machines to be more than just the latest silicon and fastest screens slapped into a shell. Our products all have a story to tell, and we hope that one of them can find a place in your home. To see all our new products announced at CES 2023, click here.